


Sweet memories

by Claire_cz



Category: Miss Marple - Agatha Christie
Genre: A Bit of Fluff, F/F, Feelings Realization, Memories, Possibly Unrequited Love, Timelines, Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:22:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28922781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire_cz/pseuds/Claire_cz
Summary: A newspaper article Miss Marple is reading brings back memories of the time when she was studying in Italy... and also memories of a girl with expressive green eyes.
Relationships: Jane Marple/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Sweet memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [firecat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firecat/gifts).



Miss Marple sat in an armchair and Emily, the housemaid, brought her the newspapers. Miss Marple read multiple newspapers every day. The local ones were her favourite, though. She didn't need any newspaper to know about everything that happened in St. Mary Mead but news from Market Basing, Much Danhem, Danemouth were always appreciated. She turned a page and saw an article about a tragic car-crash near Loomouth. Unfortunately, also an older pedestrian, Miss D. Baker, was fatally wounded in the accident.

Miss Marple froze, tightly clutching the newspapers in her hands and straightened, almost unnaturally, in the armchair.

"Miss Marple, is your back bothering you again?" Emily asked.

"No, no, Emily. You can go," Miss Marple replied, distractedly, still staring at the article.

Staring and thinking.

_"Could this be? Dorothy. She didn't live in Loomouth though. Loomouth was so close that it seemed impossible – but after almost sixty years, sixty years of no contact, no visits, not even letters... she might have very well lived there. "Older" also wasn't specific enough. How old is "older"? She could have married and taken the husband's name. Though wouldn't it only make sense for Dorothy not to get married, keep her maiden name and be the older pedestrian living a calm life in Loomouth?"_

Miss Marple neatly folded the newspapers and leaned against the armchair again. Dorothy. Dottie. After a while, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

She's been always saying that when she had been studying in Italy, she met Ruth and Caroline Louise, there. And they became friends. She’s never told anyone that there was also Dorothy. Dottie.

Dottie attended the same school but her father, only an army captain, didn't have much money and her staying at the school seemed always uncertain. But she knew how to make the most out of it. And because she played piano so well the principal would probably let her stay there even without paying the fee if only she continued playing for other students in the ballet and choir singing classes.

* * *

"On Saturday we have to try the new dessert they have in the café," Ruth exclaimed.

"I have to practice piano so much but if we won't stay there long…" Caroline said.

The three of them went to a café, a cozy warm place, you'd find hundreds of them in smaller and bigger towns in Italy at that time.

"Jane, you bought two desserts?"

"I... just maybe one for later," Jane blushed.

When they returned to the dormitory, Jane quietly left her two friends and went straight to the dance room with a piano. Because where was a piano there was Dottie.

"I brought you Sachertorte cake, Dottie," Jane said with a small smile.

"Jane, you shouldn't have. I don't deserve so many gifts."

"My father sent me some mo-... anyway, I thought that you'd be happy, so..." Jane akwardly tried to avoid the subject.

Dottie wasn't usually accompanying her friends because she had to turn every penny twice.

Dorothy was sitting on the low chair next to the piano, her big green eyes fully open and focused only on Jane standing at the piano. With unexpected force, Dorothy grabbed Jane's hand and tightly squeezed it.

"Thank you so much," she said brightly as if she wanted to dispel Jane's embarrassment from talking about money.

"I love Sachertorte, thank you so much," Dorothy continued and was – perhaps unconsciously – pulling on Jane's hand so much, that Jane was leaning lower and lower.

When her face was in the same height as Dorothy's, Jane – again – noticed how green Dorothy’s eyes were. Her eyes were closer and closer. Suddenly, a hand was Jane's face, Dorothy was caressing her so desperately, almost hungrily, and then just a moment before Jane straightened up again, they kissed, merely brushed their lips against each other…

Afterwards they never found a moment when they could be alone again. The semester finished in just a few days, Dorothy's father was reassigned and took his daughter with him.

* * *

Miss Marple opened her eyes after the quick nap and got up.

"Emily, next time Raymond comes to visit me, I'll go to London with him. I have something urgent to take care of. Fortunately, Raymond is supposed to come on Friday."

"Raymond I'm so happy you came; I know you never have enough time... But this time I would like to ask you to take me to London with you. I just have a few errands to do. I can return by train, you don't have to worry about this," Miss Marple chatter with her nephew.

"Auntie Jane, of course I'll worry and of course I'll bring you back by car. Though what's so urgent that you are willing to go to London?"

"Oh, it's just one little detail in the evidence of soldiers, they have to have it at military headquarters, I'm sure," Miss Marple replied distractedly. Raymond shook his head thinking that his aunt was very particular in some respects.

"And you are sure that Captain Baker's daughter lives in London?" Miss Marple asked a clerk after she finally found someone who knew the answers and was willing to answer. The clerk leafed through a thick file one more time and repeated: "This is the only Captain Baker who was temporarily stationed in Italy. And his daughter Dorothy still lives in London, our records are very thorough I can assure you. Because based on these records family members of deceased army soldiers get their money."

This time Miss Marple insisted. _She can't hold up Raymond any further. There are still some things she needs to do. Yes, she takes a cab. Yes, she will safely return home by train._

* * *

Miss Marple ordered the cab driver to go the street the clerk had told her. Before she could think about it, she rang at the door. The bell's sound almost blended with the sound of piano music from inside the appartement. But the piano abruptly stopped and a moment later the door opened. There stood an older woman, with big green eyes and a small smile on her lips.

Miss Marple didn't say anything. She was just intently looking into the green eyes, as was the other woman drowning in Jane's pale blue ones.

Simultaneously, they reached for each other's hand and stood in a tight embrace in the doorway. Then Dorothy gestured for Jane to come in...

**Author's Note:**

> In They Do It with Mirrors, it is revealed that Miss Marple grew up in a cathedral close, and that she studied at an Italian finishing school with Americans Ruth Van Rydock and Caroline "Carrie" Louise Serrocold.


End file.
